Milan police clash with protesters on second day of unrest

Reuters Sun, October 18, 2026 at 5:32 PM UTC 1 min read MILAN, Oct 18 (Reuters) - Milan police clashed on Sunday with protesters throwing stones and ‌looting shops during demonstrations against poor services ‌and the rising cost of living, a day after similar ​unrest in several Italian cities.

Police in riot gear fired tear gas and used water cannons after several hundred hooded protesters broke shop windows and set ‌bins on fire ⁠in the area near central Piazza Duomo, sources with knowledge of the investigation ⁠told Reuters. More than 60 protesters were taken to the police station for further checks, the sources ​added.

A total ​of 28 protesters ​were arrested after similar ‌clashes erupted on Saturday in northern cities including Milan, Bologna, Brescia, Bergamo and Turin, according to a police report on Sunday. The clashes had echoes of the violence in neighbouring France, where hundreds ‌of thousands of people angered ​by rising costs and declining ​public services took ​to the streets on Saturday in ‌some of the country's ​most violent protests ​in years.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, facing an election next year, condemned the violence ​and announced a ‌government meeting on Monday to discuss how ​to address the situation. (Reporting by Sara Rossi; ​Editing by Jan Harvey)